We’re checking how recent storms have affected our forests and land and are aware our website may not have the most up-to-date information. Please follow local signage and turn back if anything looks unsafe.

2 minutes

Glen Affric moth has its most successful year on record

There is good news for one of the UK’s scarcest moths, the Affric Twitcher (Choreutis diana), has reached its highest recorded abundance this year.

This rare species is found almost exclusively in Glen Affric. The surveying and monitoring by Butterfly Conservation staff and volunteers showed not just the most successful year on record but a significant increase in the known distribution of the moth.

Our Environment Forester, Shona Amos, said:

These results are hugely encouraging and demonstrate the importance of long-term monitoring and careful land management. The Affric Twitcher is one of Scotland's most elusive moths, so seeing both population and distribution faring well is very encouraging.

Affric Twitcher moth on a purple flower.
Affric Twitcher moth - image courtesy of Mike Taylor / Butterfly Conservation

 Our forests support a remarkable range of wildlife, and findings like this show why understanding and protecting that biodiversity is so important. Continued deer management and ongoing non-native plant species removal is supporting birch regeneration providing important habitat for many species, including the Affric Twitcher moth.

The new discoveries mean the Affric Twitcher has now been recorded in 28 separate 1km squares, with the moth found on both the north and south sides of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhoin. The ongoing survey efforts show the Affric Twitcher’s known range has doubled over the past two years.

Affric Twitcher moth on a yellow flower.
Affric Twitcher moth - image courtesy of Mike Taylor / Butterfly Conservation

Patrick Cook, Butterfly Conservation:

The Affric Twitcher depends on native birch woodland, where its larvae feed on leaves and create distinctive canoe-shaped silken shelters known as spinnings. These latest surveys are helping us build a much clearer picture of where the moth occurs and what it needs to thrive.

Working closely with conservation partners and using the latest survey findings help us to plan future management of our forests and land. The woodland in Glen Affric National Nature Reserve is one of the best examples of the Caledonian Forest in Scotland and the glen is home to a vartiety of wildlife found across a mosaic of habitats. 

Keep reading